Saturday, September 25, 2010

XWXPXMX is the Orange County based project of Ryan and Gabe from local punk band Leash Kids, Bucket of Scum and various others. The approach here is more raw and not necessarily directed towards meeting noise 'guidelines' but rather letting their extreme outbursts of energy and abuse of sound project raw harsh noise.

You guys participated in last year's noise festival, how did you like it and what are you looking forward to this year?

Last years festival was more of an experiment in itself, majority of the crowd [being a curious walk-in crowd] found it very grotesque, and indespicable! most of the crowd was the noise band and the friends of noise bands itself! All in all, the best part was expressing and collaborating our many facets and perceptions on "music itself." This year we are looking forward to the many bands/projects/artists performing and working on our unique performance as well. We also enjoy the publicity it is getting!

How did you become interested in noise and who are your major influences?

gabe [the other member] showed me a glenn branca video a few years back, and it was awesome! influentially, we do not really related or compare ourselves to other musicians. In simple context, we try to make music out of an erratic selection of objects and sounds! In other words,our main influences would be none other than the sounds/atmosphere created by our surroundings!

You guys are part of other really interesting projects could you tell us about those?

We've had several other noise/experimental projects:
outside of XWXPXMX we've had:
PEOPLE: a no-wave collaboration using several distortions and effects(hiatus)
Bucket of Scum: noisy violent shit-core (Dormant)
MANTRA: a solo project using a "band" setup making experimental music (in progress)
anal anus: a solo project usin household sounds (dormant)
Imploding Walri: dadaistic music

XWXPXMX performs at this year's noise festival along fellow orange county noise heads Yuko Imada, Six Mystic Points and many more. Be sure to check them out as they return for another harsh noise assault!

check out their myspace at
http://www.myspace.com/xwxpxmx
http://www.myspace.com/swinginallnight

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Sunken Landscapes is the inner working of one Andy Summers, a Long Beach resident who will be performing at this year's festival. Sunken Landscapes'approach to noise is distinct in that it dwells on the psychedelic, although the aesthetic of noise is still ever present. The end result is one that can be likened to a drug trip; mind bending, conscious altering, and at times, meditative.

Your approach to guitar/pedal-based noise is quite unique from that of other artists. What can you attest your sound to?

Each jam is an endless search and exploration of sound and just creating it and building upon it and morphing it into something completely weird in that particular moment in time. It's at the point now where it's almost like a spiritual connection with the unknown universes through sound. That and some really great pedals and a head full of psychedelic thoughts.

When was the first time you experienced noise music? What was your reaction and how did you end up wanting to create it?

I found a used copy of Black Dice's Miles of Smiles for like 3 or 4 bucks about 7 or 8 years ago and checked it out. I was into weirdo punk and weird psych stuff before that but when I put on that record it blew my mind into pieces. Shortly after I picked up everything I could get on wax by them and they're still one of my favorite bands ever.

Your label, Nihil Underground, has a very wide variety of artists. If you could release any artist you desire, who would it be?

Sunken Landscapes currently has several new releases out now. The Worlds Unknown CDr, Cosmic Travels CDr, and On the Sea of Tranquility c30 can all be purchased through Nihil Underground, with the Tropical Wasteland c20 to soon be out on Obeast Tapes. He will also be releasing a new 3"/collage at the festival limited to 10 copies. Each 3" will have a unique recording and collage. Be sure to pick up a copy!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ellen Degenerate is the nomadic noise project of Vincent Catanho. Once based in Orange County, currently residing in Los Angeles County, but always making his way back to the local scene. His projects have always varied in style, but never fail to satisfy during a live set.

You had a project prior to this called sloppy cock that was more of an extreme noise/punk band, what made you change direction and name of your project?

Taking less drugs changed my direction. Around that time I was taking lots of psychedelics and it didn't exactly make me a hippie. I was pissed off and Sloppy Cock was all about hate and the drugs gave me confidence to offend people. I wanted to blow out their eardrums and crush them with dissonance. After that summer, I moved to Hawaii for a year and mellowed out. I continued to make harsh noise but slowly integrated more music into my recordings. When I moved back to Santa Ana, John (drums) and Paul (guitar) were too involved with their main project Nasa Space Universe to make time for Sloppy, as they should've been. Me and Paul tried doing Sloppy by ourselves but it wasn't as satisfying. As for my new direction, there really isn't one. When I listen to the last tape I put out, it sounds like a compilation. And even though I've only played a handful of shows, none of them were the same. Sometimes its trance, sometimes its psyche and sometimes its really cheesy pop. As for the name, its just a stupid pun. I like stupid puns.

You've participated in most of the local noise shows that we've organized in the past. Do you feel the noise scene is developing more than it was before?

I'm not really sure how the scene is doing. I don't live in Orange County anymore and never go to shows there unless Nasa is playing. I guess its developed more with Steven setting up shows and Moribund Tree Records but other than that I don't know. I kind of hate Los Angeles too, but its a great place for shows. Orange County doesn't have enough people that like noise or experimental music to keep up with LA shows and I'm not sure if it ever will. But the good news is that it seems like each noise fest is bigger than the last.

You recently started a label, Funky Brewski, how is that going?

Its going. So far there's been five releases. The last release was a cd reissue of the first Ellen tape that also included unreleased stuff, songs from the Funky Brewski Vol. 1 comp and songs from the last tape Sementics. I'm also working on a VietMAN tape (Nasa Space Universe's d-beat side project including myself on bass) and some new Ellen stuff. Its all coming together slower than I would like but I've been busy with other things. Ellen and Funky Brewski have become side projects. My main focuses right now are playing drums in my new band Future Shock and recording other bands for money.

You missed out on the last santa ana noise festival, is there anything you're looking forward to this time around?

I don't recognize half of the names on the flyer so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them play. I'm also looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully selling some stuff. I have a brand new set to debut as well and it is guaranteed to get your ass shaking and covering your ears at the same time.

Ellen Degenerate will perform at the second annual noise festival and will also be contributing artworks to the noise inspired art show. Check out his label Funky Brewski and support his various projects by coming to the show!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Lilledeshan Bose was kind enough to get some words from S. over at Moribund Tree. A small feature was posted on the website and some follow up questions about the festival were sent to her so hopefully we see it here soon!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Just setup a Twitter account for this fest. It's also going to be the general twitter for noise in orange county.

www.twitter.com/OCnoise

also we've been doing alot of random interviews with people about the fest so you will see something about that posted here soon. Lots of interviews coming up as well as reviews and features on local artists performing at the event!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Yuko Imada is the product of Garrett Yim’s over-conceptual obsession with harsh static sound, ambient drones, and serial killer Tsutomo Miyazaki. Over the past three years he has released a full-length album on CDR entitled “Ocean” and a follow-up record on tape entitled “Moon” of ambient drones and meditative atmospheres on local underground record label Moribund Tree Records, as well as self-releasing the unrelentingly harsh “Ome” on his own label Zoom Lens. Although solo on recordings, live Yuko Imada can be up to five individuals contributing to produce a sonic barrage of harsh noise and possible injury to the audience.

Could you share a few words about your live approach and what someone could expect at a Yuko Imada gig?

My approach to the live show is complete submission to the music. The live show is something vastly important to me on an emotional and spiritual level and it involves the release of all of the negative feelings that press on my being. A live show is the complete and absolute truth of who I am. Before I start a show a million thoughts run through my head, but when I play it feels like I am nothing but that present moment in time, and in that feeling I feel relief and I have little or no anxiety in what I do on stage. Playing a live show to me is to look inward at yourself with complete honesty, the mind unclouded of any doubtful thoughts. I am not against the use of drugs and alcohol in everyday life, but to play a show under the influences of those substances is something I am strongly against. When I play with a large group we form a sense of unity, I have a feeling that we are all connected at the moment and our musical actions are a demonstration of this. I have a sense of what another will do next, and I believe that they hold the same feeling. I am not sure what one can expect at one of our shows because often we do not know what to expect either. Often, others or myself map out our sound amongst discussion or practice, but that sound usually ends up sounding vastly different given the present moment we engulf ourselves in when we play a show.

What are the origins of the name behind the project and where did your attraction to extreme sound begin?

The name Yuko Imada was the pseudonym of Japanese serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki, and it was suggested to me by my friend Steven, who also runs Moribund Tree and Absence Tapes. I think it is a fitting name due to his lasting relevance on Japanese culture concerning the perversion of visual media and the blame that was placed upon the forms of visual media that supposedly influenced his actions; exploitation flicks, adult videos, and things of the sort. That sort of perversion intrigues me as well and many of my songs hold reference to that or Miyazaki himself. I initially became attracted to extreme sound, consciously, at least, in High School when I discovered Japanese noise artists such as Hanatarash, Masonna, and Violent Onsen Geisha. Their sort of uncaring, and at times even humorous attitude inspired me. At first it was their image that attracted me more than anything, their interpretation of musical expression in concerns to a live show, how they seemed to be in their own world, completely oblivious to those around them, but soon I developed a liking towards the music as well.

You've experimented with two approaches so far in your Yuko Imada project, could you elaborate on the obviously preferred separation of styles that your albums demonstrate?

Immersing myself in the world of experimental music, I came to realize that there should not be limitations to how one wishes to deal with their sound, even if the result is polarizing to those who listen to it. After all, while it is not necessarily shameful to put your music out there and have people listen, musical expression should be something that instills a sense of fulfillment in its creator as well. When I create noise, usually it pertains to something negative within me, mostly aggressive. It relates to the part of me that I feel isn’t fit for society, so often I dwell on subjects that are taboo and would likely be subject to criticism in everyday life. Although on the surface I am not a violent person, I believe that most of my noise recordings relate to acts of demeaning violence or perversity, and that is not so much me wanting to commit such acts, but my sense of intrigue concerning such acts, as if hearing about them plays out to me like a good story from which I draw inspiration.

My ambient music is much more personal, and in fact, I hardly listen to any ambient music at all. Most of my influence for ambient music derives from film and literature, such as works by Wong Kar Wai and Haruki Murakami, respectively. Those works I believe hold something personal to me, and often I reference them as a sort of insight to what I cannot say in words. Some of my songs were written in regards to some very specific people in my life, and for whatever pain they caused me I wish to thank them for my inspiration. The type of music I do depends on how I feel as a person, so that’s why I claim myself to be an ambient and noise artist just at the time being. I plan to finish several releases within the same genre in the near future, but I wish to switch directions as well. I have some very pop-oriented work that I plan to release under Yuko Imada very soon that I feel some may not enjoy, but others will.

You have a clear affinity towards Japanese pop culture, does this play any part in your creating process?

Yes, aside from Ome making reference to Tsutomu Miyazaki, many other facets of Japanese pop culture seeped into that album as well. “Postcard” was created out of a poem I wrote about cannibal Issei Sagawa, and “The Blue Sky” is in reference to idol Sora Aoi. I am a fan of Japanese music of all kinds, so it goes without saying that it influences me in a very general sense. Most of my creative process I believe is aided in my affinity for not only it’s noise scene, but also it’s current pop scene. I have an immense appreciation for groups such as Perfume and other various groups among the genres of techno-pop, denpa, and electro.

What is this ultimate direction for this project?

As mentioned before, I am venturing into pop music at the moment and I hope to make something of that. Eventually I hope to grasp enough experience on various genres of music and their creative processes and make something fairly unique. I think it is something admirable when musicians try to push themselves and approach various aspects of music with a fresh mind and are open to anything. I hope to do just that and create something I can thoroughly enjoy and be satisfied with. I wish to be able to consolidate everything I love into one entity. Noise music to me is as much of a philosophical concept as it is a musical genre, so I will always employ that mindset with what I do, and I hope that will lead me into the direction that I am looking towards.

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Santa Ana Noise Festival is a one day festival showcasing 14 noise/experimental artists and noise inspired artworks by some of the performers and local artists held at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Arts! More information on the performers and artists will be posted throughout the month up until the day of the festival. Follow this blog!!